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15-Day London, Paris, Rome Itinerary

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When my mom and sister revealed their zealous plans for their 15-day London, Paris, Rome Itinerary, I was skeptical that they would be able to pull it off. Unlike me, who wants to travel to eternity, Dianne and Tracy approached their trip as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit the cities. It would be Tracy’s (my sister) first trip to Europe and Dianne’s (my mom) second trip (although, it would be her first time to London and Rome). They packed their 15-Day London, Paris, Rome Itinerary to the brim…and then heaped on a bit more for good measure.

I was intrigued, not only by the sightseeing they were able to accomplish with their 15-day London, Paris, Rome Itinerary, but also by how efficiently they were able to do so. For the first-time traveler to Europe or for the traveler who only anticipates ever going once, it’s an ideal itinerary that succinctly hits all the major sights and then some.

Their diligent planning included detailed documentation – and now they are sharing their pre-trip preparation, experiences abroad, post-trip thoughts and a detailed account of their 15-Day London, Paris, Rome Itinerary Day-by-Day (including links!).

London – Big Ben

Paris – Eiffel Tower

Rome -Roman Forum

Pre-Trip Preparation

How did you decide where to go and how much time to spend in each place?

Our vacation was nearly three years in the making. A year and a half prior to the trip, we started checking out travel books from the library. Tracy read them cover-to-cover. Eight months out, we began researching flights. Five months prior to departure, we were booking accommodations.

We discussed our itinerary at length. We were constrained by Tracy’s limited time off work, but were determined to fit as much as we possibly could into our trip. We focused on the must-see cities and best-known sights. We originally included Florence and Venice in our list, but we felt the time we would have to spend actually traveling between the cities was too much. We settled on Europe’s Big Three: London, Paris and Rome – with five nights in each city.

What luggage did you carry? Were you happy with what you packed?

We each had one large checked roller bag and a carry-on backpack, which served as a daypack as we explored the cities. We knew our 15-Day London, Paris, Rome Itinerary was ambitious and wanted to make sure we were as prepared as possible, so we ended up bringing things that we didn’t use. We packed too many shirts and warmer clothes (as we traveled in the autumn) and a lot of just-in-case medications, but we are still glad we had them with us and wouldn’t have left anything behind.

Did you buy or use any specific travel gadgets or guides?

We purchased adapters and a converter. The adapters were essential, but the converter did not work properly and it turned out we didn’t really need one. We always used our money belts and bra stashes and were glad we purchased them for our trip. Since we are not seasoned travelers, it made us feel more safe to have our money and important documents with us at all times and concealed beneath our clothing. The guide book we used was Rick Steves’ Best of Europe. We tore out and carried only the information we needed for the cities we were visiting.

Of the entire trip, what were you most looking forward to?

We were really intent on checking off all the sights on our list. It might end up being my (Dianne’s) last trip and Tracy’s only trip to Europe. We didn’t want to miss a single sight that appealed to us.

We did not see the Natural History Museum or walk Abbey Road. We could not visit The Sky Garden because, while it is free to enter, prior reservations are required and we hadn’t made them.

High Tea

Red Telephone Booth and Double-Decker Bus

Chinatown

London – Big Ben

Tower Bridge

What was the food like?

We ate a variety of food in London, from high tea to street food. We most enjoyed the food in Chinatown. Our high tea experience (which included sandwiches, sweets and a prosecco finish) was one of our most memorable dining experiences.

Where did you stay?

We stayed at the European Hotel for its close proximity to King’s Cross Station (which provided access to the entire city and even the Chunnel to Paris). The hotel offered a complimentary traditional English breakfast that included a lot of protein, which was a nice way to start the day. The rooms were much smaller than we had anticipated…and the bathroom was shockingly small, but sufficient. Also, the electricity and wifi were unreliable.

Any recommendations for London?

The best way to see a lot of the city in an economical way is to purchase a weekly National Train paper pass. It allows visitors to use 2-for-1 vouchers for all the major sights – as well as transportation on the Tube and buses.

What were your highlights of London?

The Tower of London (with the Beefeater’s Tour), Kensington Palace and high tea.

What was the food like?

We ate quick food on-the-go a lot in Paris. Our favorite place to grab breakfast and lunch was at Paul, a bakery which has multiple locations. We had street crepes a few times and especially liked the Nutella crepes at Montmartre. The Saint-Martin Canal neighborhood offered a wide variety of quaint cafes and restaurants. Our two favorite meals in the area were a savory buckwheat crepe at Lulu’s Creperies and a wild boar and chestnut stew at La Patache.

Where did you stay?

We stayed in a charming flat in an old building on the Saint-Martin Canal, which we found through Airbnb. {Create an Airbnb account and save money on your first stay!} It was nice to have the extra space and a washer/dryer (as we needed to do laundry by then!). It was well-situated in a residential neighborhood, but close to Gare de l’Est where we could access the Metro.

Any recommendations for Paris?

We highly recommend the Paris Museum Pass (not to be confused with the Paris Pass). It offers entry into all the major sights in and around Paris at a reasonable cost. With the pass, we could enter certain sights to see just the highlights and not feel like we had to stay to get our money’s worth. The best value for transportation around Paris is the weekly (calendar week only Monday through Sunday) Navigo Pass, which was good for the Metro, buses and trains (even the train to Versailles and the airport!).

We did not make it to Ostia Antica nor Ostia di Lido (the beach on the Mediterranean).

Gelato

Colosseum

La Pieta

She-Wolf Statue at Capitoline Museum

Basilica Santa Maria in Trastevere

St. Peter’s Basilica

What was the food like?

Hello Gelato! We ate gelato every day, because when in Rome… We also ate a lot of pizza, both at sidewalk cafes and where they scissor-cut the slices and sell them by weight. Our best meal was at a little family-run restaurant in the Trastevere neighborhood. The chef used family recipes that had been handed-down through several generations.

Where did you stay?

We stayed in a small B&B in a very safe neighborhood, Salario, on the north side of the city. It was recently renovated and spacious. However, due to our delayed flight and unclear directions to the B&B, our late arrival (after midnight) resulted in a deplorable welcome from the host. Unfortunately, encounters like that are carried throughout the rest of the stay and sadly gave us a negative impression of Romans in general.

Any recommendations for Rome?

What we would NOT recommend is the OMNIA Pass. We thought it would speed up our sightseeing by eliminating standing in long lines, but it never worked out that way. It was expensive ($109), included things we didn’t use and although it promised front-of-line entry, required longer waiting times than those with regular entry tickets. Alternatively, we could have purchased the combo pass to the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine Hill (Cost: $13.50) from the shortest ticket lines at the Palatine Hill entrance on Via di San Gregorio and then we could skip the ticket line at the Colosseum. In addition, we could have bought our ticket to the Vatican Museums, including the Sistine Chapel, online (Cost: $22) and skipped the lines there, too. (The OMNIA Pass could possibly be to an advantage in the high season, though).

What were your highlights of Rome?

St. Peter’s Basilica and the many ruins throughout the city, although the most impressive were those at the Roman Forum, Palatine Hill and the Colosseum. We really enjoyed the time we spent walking through the neighborhoods and piazzas.

Post-Trip Thoughts

How much did you spend? Did you have a budget? Did you stick to it?

The total cost of our trip was $2550 each, just $50 more than we had budgeted. That amount includes everything we spent during our vacation – the flight and all transportation abroad, accommodations, food, drink, tours, passes, entertainment, souvenirs…everything!

We researched and carefully determined how to do our trip on a budget without missing any of the sights we wanted to see. For hardcore sightseers, like us, we found the city passes to the sights and public transportation passes to be quite beneficial financially. We also were able to find entertainment deals on major websites (like Viator and Get Your Guide). We weren’t on a mission to spend as little as possible, but we were budget conscious and feel that the price we paid was well-worth the trip.

It should be noted that we found majorly discounted airline tickets from Toronto rather than from our home city in the United States. Therefore, we tacked on a mini-vacation to Canada on each end of our European trip, which is also included in the total cost of the trip (which, all-inclusive, was still less than if we had paid the more expensive airfare from our home city).

What exceeded your expectations?

We were pleasantly surprised that everything went pretty much according to plan, but perhaps that is because we were so diligent in our planning. The specific sights that exceeded our expectations (although, not necessarily top-of-the-list things to do) are:

London – The British Library, the National Gallery, House of Commons session, high tea

Paris – Sainte Chapelle, Musee Rodin, Conciergerie

Rome – Palatine Hill, Capitoline Museum

What were your biggest disappointments?

London – Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace. We spent too much time there and even though we arrived an hour and half before the event, we were unable to get close enough to really see. While standing in the sea of people, we felt like prime targets for pickpockets!

Paris – The interior of Versailles Chateau. It was over-crowded with a lot of people elbowing their way through. The rooms everyone was pushing to see were pretty, but not all that impressive to us for the hassle involved in seeing them. However, the Mesdames section, the gardens and the Trianons were worth seeing.

Rome – The Sistine Chapel. After spending several hours in the Vatican Museum, we were underwhelmed by the time we got to the Sistine Chapel. The small area was packed and a booming voice coming from speakers reminded guests that pictures were not allowed (although many blatantly disregarded the message and took photos anyway, which we thought was quite rude). We were expecting to be wowed, but instead felt like cattle being corralled. It wasn’t the experience we were anticipating.

What did you find difficult about traveling?

The language barrier in Paris and Rome made communication in those cities trying, especially as we were there for such a short time and had a full itinerary planned. Rome was also an extremely difficult city to get around in using public transportation. The buses were always crowded and the Metro stations were few and far between. It would have been better if we had stayed closer to the sights or near a Metro station.

What was easier than you thought it would be?

The lines to get into the sights were not as long as we had anticipated. Of course, it helped that we were traveling in the shoulder season (mid-October).

What would you have done differently?

We would have planned our travel between cities for early morning as it would have made getting acquainted with the new city much easier. More specifically, we would not again plan to arrive to a city after dark. Also, it would have been extremely beneficial to have been able to use our mobile phones. We should have purchased an international data plan for our time abroad so that we could have used them when we really needed to.

Additionally, we wish we had planned more time to simply walk the neighborhoods, relax in the parks and piazzas and enjoy people-watching from the cafes.

15-Day London, Paris, Rome Itinerary Day-by-Day:

Note: Prices indicated are in U.S. dollars; entry fees and tickets indicate the cost per person, accommodations indicate the total cost of the lodging. If cost is not listed, it is a public, outdoor space or a sight viewed only from the outside.

Day 16

Bus to Airport

Our top tips for your trip

London, Paris, Rome Sightseeing Tips

London

The National Rail 2-for-1 vouchers are a fabulous way to see London sights on a budget…unless you are traveling solo (or with an odd number of people) and not using public transportation. The London Pass and London iVenture Card are two city passes that might save you money – we recently compared the benefits of both, you can read about it here. In lieu of using public transportation, consider getting around London using Big Bus Tours, which makes stops at all the top London attractions.

Rome

We have yet to find a Rome sightseeing pass that we can recommend, as they don’t seem to offer the convenience and savings promised. Instead of spending money on a pass like OMNIA or Roma Pass, organize your Rome sightseeing on your own. Use the money you saved from buying a city pass and join a guided tour of the sights that are of most interest to you, like St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican Museum, the Colosseum. To get around the city, use the Rome Big Bus, public transportation or walk.

*As stated before, save time and money by purchasing the combo pass to the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine Hill (Cost: $13.50) from the shortest ticket lines at the Palatine Hill entrance on Via di San Gregorio and then use your combo ticket to skip the ticket line at the Colosseum. Additionally, buy your ticket to the Vatican Museums, including the Sistine Chapel, online (Cost: $22) and skip the lines there, too.

Where To Stay

We have found that staying in apartments is often less expensive than hotel rooms – with the added benefit of a kitchen and, usually, more space. Europe holiday apartments can be searched on FlipKey (which is part of TripAdvisor), VRBO – Vacation Rentals By OwnerorAirbnb.

Getting There

Our preferred method of getting anywhere is by flying (we are JetSetting Fools, after all!) and when we do need to purchase plane tickets, we start our search for the best deals on airline tickets on Skyscanner orFlight Hub.

To get from city to city when flights are not possible, we usually rely on public transportation and take trains or buses. In Europe, we use Rail Europe to find train tickets and our preferred bus company is FlixBus – as it is economical, clean and comfortable with on-board wifi, seat-back entertainment, refreshments and a toilet. We aren’t keen on driving abroad, but renting a car can often save time and money (especially when traveling with more than two people) – and it allows for greater discovery.

Before You Go

Don’t forget to pack a pair of lightweight and comfortable walking shoes for your trip. I (Sarah) have traveled with these shoes by Columbia, Skechers and Reef. Kris prefers wearing these shoes by Merrell and Sanuk.

We’re certain you’ll be snapping tons of photos during your trip. Rather than relying on your mobile phone to capture the sights, upgrade to an actual camera for higher quality photos (that can later be beautifully compiled into a travel photo book). We travel with a Canon Rebel (which takes amazing photos, but can be a bit clunky) and a Canon PowerShot ELPH (which takes beautiful pictures, is slim and lightweight – and the new models are wifi enabled so you can share your trip pics to social media in real time!).

It’s easy to get turned around in any foreign city! Make sure to have a good city map for London, Paris and Rome and/or guidebook before arriving.

We think travel insurance is essential! If you haven’t already obtained travel insurance for your trip, travel protected with World Nomads.

Interesting comments, especially since I just did a post on Rome. Sometimes we forget as full-time travellers what a big deal a 2 week vacation is to most people – even though it wasn’t that long ago that we were in the same boat. We’ve maybe become more blasé about travelling but I remember how meticulously we would plan our trips when they were as charged as the one above.

That’s an excellent point, Frank. As full-time, slow travelers, it can be difficult to see (and plan!) for certain cities/sights/attractions in the same way as a 2-weeks-of-time-off-per-year vacationer. I’ve always like to wing it on my vacations, but that being said, I also went very prepared.
They enjoyed their trip, saw what they wanted to see and were ready to go home after the end of the two weeks. We joined them for the Rome portion of their trip…and I needed a vacation afterwards! haha!